Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (29 page)

             
Damned
bureaucrats.
Typical,
she
thought
as
she
stormed
across
the
station
heading
for
the
Captain
'
s
office,
well,
she
knew
just
how
to
stir
things
up
for
them.

***

             
"
Good
day
Minister,
please
take
a
seat.
I
'
m
delighted
you
could
accept
my
invitation.
"
Ari
Khamenei
knew
just
how
to
put
his
visitors
at
their
ease.

             
"
Very
good
of
you
to
offer
to
assist
my
Department,
Chairman.
"
The
Minister
relaxed
into
a
comfortable
chair.
The
room
exuded
wealth
and
though
slightly
too
opulent
for
his
tastes
conveyed
exactly
the
message
its
occupant
wanted
to
send.
One
of
wealth,
power
and
continuity.

             
"
But
of
course
we
must
assist,
Minister,
"
Ari
Khamenei
smiled
reassuringly.
"
My
organisation
cannot
fulfil
its
obligations
unless
your
Department
is
able
to
provide
the
necessary
support
to
our
operations.
We
have
identified
an
area
in
which
we
may
act
as
your
agents
and
provide
the
resources
and
services
you
cannot
at
present
–
this
permits
us
to
meet
our
obligations
and
you
to
provide
the
services
at
minimal
cost,
so
important
in
these
days
of
tightening
budgets.
"

             
"
Well,
we
will
have
to
examine
the
proposals
very
carefully,
Chairman,
after
all,
the
Consortium
is
hardly
a
government
agency.
You
exist
for
profit,
not
charity.
"
The
Minister
sipped
his
beverage.
"
My
staff
have
studied
the
agreement
in
full
and
we
think
we
have
the
basis
of
a
way
in
which
we
may
take
this
forward.
You
must
understand
there
are
several
members
of
the
cabinet
who
have
serious
objections
and
reservations,
they
will
need
to
be
persuaded
and
assured
of
the
adequacy
of
the
safeguards
for
the
people
this
will
affect
and
the
oversight
we
will
need
to
exercise.
"

             
"
Of
course.
"
The
Chairman
smiled.
So
his
agents
were
right.
The
cabinet
was
divided
on
this,
but
the
waverers
could
be
persuaded
and
it
would
be
sufficient
for
the
majority
to
agree
this
venture.
It
promised
to
give
his
organisation
effective
control
of
three
new
colony
planets
–
in
effect
ratifying
a
status
quo.
The
appropriate
inducements
could
be
worked
out
fairly
easily
no
doubt,
his
team
were
already
busy.
"
I
am
sure
we
can
satisfy
those
who
doubt
our
goodwill,
after
all,
our
control
of
WeapTech
is
already
bearing
fruit
for
the
Fleet
and
the
Confederacy
is
it
not?
I
think
we
can
assure
the
cabinet
this
venture
will
be
even
more
economically
beneficial
to
your
government.
"

***

             
Admiral
Van
den
Bosch
looked
up
as
Captain
Heron
and
Commander
Allison
entered
the
office.
He
smiled
a
greeting.
"
Please
sit
down.
I
have
good
news,
your
power
units
will
be
replaced
Commander
–
with
the
correct
specification
this
time.
"
He
leaned
back.
"
I
'
ve
received
a
formal
complaint
from
the
Executive
Chief
of
Staff
regarding
your
confrontation
with
our
Mister
Ribble,
I
wish
I
'
d
been
there
to
see
it.
I
'
m
sure
you
won
'
t
be
surprised.
"

             
"
No,
sir,
I
was
expecting
something
of
the
sort.
I
'
m
afraid
the
man
is
a
pompous
idiot
–
a
bloody
over
qualified
and
over
promoted
filing
clerk.
He
'
d
no
concept
of
the
effect
on
the
ship
or
its
people
of
his
'
cost
cutting
'
changes.
I
hope
he
rots
in
hell!
"

             
"
Pretty
much
as
I
would
have
described
him
myself.
You
'
ll
be
pleased
to
hear
we
are
seeing
the
back
of
him
and
we
'
ve
now
got
a
directive
from
the
Fleet
Council
to
the
effect
no
'
unqualified
'
directors,
executives
or
administrators
may
alter,
amend
or
revise
any
technical
matter
on
any
ship
whether
in
build,
in
maintenance
or
in
service.
"
He
paused.
"
It
'
s
a
little
less
than
we
'
d
hoped
to
get
–
we
actually
wanted
them
out
of
all
positions
of
oversight
or
management
–
but
it
will
do
for
now.
I
don
'
t
need
to
tell
you
the
Council
wasn
'
t
best
pleased
when
they
were
told
of
the
cost
of
the
replacement
of
these
units.
"